44 | Popular

***

"Yah! This isn't a sports car!" Yoona's voice reverberated through the vehicle as Jessica accelerated, narrowly avoiding a roadside sign. "Aigoo!" Yoona winced, feeling as though Jessica might push the car to its limits just to test it.

Seohyun, Tiffany, and Yihyun were on the verge of rushing to Jessica's side when she suddenly braked. But witnessing her deft maneuvering as she eased the car back to them, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, grateful that she emerged unscathed.

"Yoona, your car is really something. I could cruise in this for hours," Jessica remarked with admiration from the driver's seat.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Yoona asked, her tone betraying a hint of vulnerability.

"It's okay, Yoongie," Seohyun reassured, patting her boyfriend's back gently. With a giggle, she joined Yihyun, Tiffany, and Da-On as they got into the car.

"Yoona Appa, this is so cool!" Da-On exclaimed, bouncing up and down in his car seat between his mother and Yihyun.

"Isn't it, Da-On?" Yoona leaned in closer to them with a smile. "This car is designed for families; that's why it comes with a toddler's car seat in the middle," he explained, adopting a tone reminiscent of a seasoned businessman addressing a customer. "No need for parents to spend extra money on separate seats for their kids."

"Some cars don't prioritize safety features like this. It's wonderful that your company considers children's protection too," Tiffany remarked, sharing her thoughts. "Jjang!" she exclaimed, giving a thumbs up in praise.

"Thanks, Noona," Yoona replied, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

"Let's step on the gas!" Yihyun suddenly declared, even as the staff were still installing cameras around the car from the outside.

"We'll run them over if we do that, Yihyun," Jessica chuckled softly.

"Noona, don't drive too fast," Yoona instructed as he turned towards the front seats. "And please, make sure to follow the GPS," he added with a note of caution.

"That was just a little test earlier, Yoong. No need to worry," Jessica reassured with a grin.

"Don't worry, Yoongie," Seohyun smiled reassuringly. "She knows what she's doing."

"Just to be sure. But I trust she's a good driver," said Yoona as he leaned down and shared a peck on the lips with his girlfriend. "Put on your seatbelt, baby," he reminded her gently.

"Oh," Seohyun mentally reminded herself, quickly and securely buckling her seatbelt.

"Alright, let's get this started," the director approached them. "Just drive according to the speed limit, and if you need to overtake, limit it to five times. We'll be monitoring with the drones."

"Got it, Director Kwon," Jessica replied with a friendly smile as she turned the engine back on.

"Be careful on the road. I'll see you guys later," Yoona said, waving his hand at them. The girls waved back, and Da-On gave a thumbs up.

"Slowly but surely, Jessica drives the car once again. This time, she's focused and following the GPS without distraction. Everyone remained quiet for a while until Jessica was reminded by the camera crew's presence. "Should we play some music? It's for the ad campaign," she suggested, prompting Seohyun to hastily turn on the radio."

"Let's sing a rock song," Yihyun suggested, leaning forward to interact with the screen in the front seat to choose their song.

"But Da-On might not enjoy it," Tiffany expressed her concern.

"Oh, right. Let's play a children's song before a pop song," Yihyun corrected herself. She selected the song, and "Baby Shark" came on, much to everyone's delight as they began singing along with Da-On.

Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark

The car resonated with their laughter as the song ended, and when another children's song started playing, only Da-On seemed to know the tune.

We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching

"What song is this?" Seohyun quickly pulled out her phone and checked online. "Oh, I didn't know this song existed," she remarked, earning chuckles from the girls.

"Noona, I hate you!" Da-On declared, shooting playful glares at his favorite adversary once again.

After the second song ended, "The Wheels on the Bus" started playing, and everyone started jamming to it like never before. Da-On seemed to be the happiest person at the moment, his excitement contagious to everyone in the car.

—

Passing through the aisle of cherry blossoms, Seohyun, Tiffany, and Yihyun all paused to savor the beauty of the petals showering around them. They extended their arms outside, feeling the gentle breeze and petals brushing against their skin, bringing joyful smiles to their faces. Meanwhile, Da-On remained in his seat, contentedly slurping water from a drinking straw, watching the scene unfold with a peaceful demeanor.

"Such a beautiful place." Jessica whispered on her own as soon as they left that portion of the road.

***

It was an unparalleled feeling of satisfaction. After a long day of work, or rather, driving around the city, the girls finally relished a well-deserved break with a chicken feast laid out on their table. Their earnings exceeded their expectations, prompting them to splurge on snacks to celebrate their hard work. A portion of their earnings went into their newly opened bank account, earmarked for their future home—a small but significant step towards their shared dreams.

As Tiffany made her way downstairs after tucking Da-On into bed, she paused midway upon hearing murmurs coming from the direction of the maids.

"This is really insane. They don't tidy up after themselves often. I find it exhausting to constantly clean up their mess."

"I know, right? It was just chicken, yet they couldn't dispose of it properly. They're living like princesses in this house."

"If it weren't for Mr. Kwon, I wouldn't continue this job. It's tough being a maid to people like them."

"It's even tougher when one of the maids back then is now we're serving. It's offensive on my part.

She anticipated hearing those kinds of comments because she knew they were the messiest girls, but it still stung, especially since she was just about to go out there and tidy up. She sighed, feeling disheartened, and was about to turn back when she caught sight of her friend nearby.

"It's okay, Fany, we won't be staying here for much longer," Jessica said reassuringly as she met her friend halfway, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Seems like wherever we go, we encounter this kind of stuff," Tiffany remarked with another sigh.

As Jessica took another step down, she heard Yuri, Yoona, and Taeyeon's voices from the door. "They're back," Jessica whispered urgently, grabbing Tiffany's arm and pulling her back up to the second floor.

"Why aren't we greeting them?" Tiffany asked, confusion evident in her voice as she halted her friend's movement.

"The maids are downstairs; they might think we heard them," Jessica explained in a hushed tone. "Let the boys look for us," she suggested, quickly grabbing her friend's arm and pulling her into the bedroom, where Tiffany was temporarily sharing the space with her son and Taeyeon.

"Noona? Omma?" 

Da-On's puzzled gaze met theirs as they entered the room, seated on the bed with a questioning expression.

"Oh my, I thought you were already asleep?" Tiffany exclaimed, hurriedly making her way to her son's side.

"I want some chicken." A big cheerful smile graces Da-On's face.

"What? We don't have chicken left." Jessica softly chuckled.

"Could I possibly get another order, please, Omma?" Da-On politely requested.

"We can't. It's almost ten in the evening." 

"Chincha? no more tonight?"

"Yes, Aigoo... go back to sleep. I think you just dreamed of chicken," Tiffany said softly, gently rubbing her son's head as she guided him back to his lying position.

"Fried chicken in Korea is the best," Da-On declared with a thumbs-up, breaking into a giggle afterward.

Jessica giggled upon hearing it too. "There's still so much more for you to experience in the future. So don't get too excited just yet," she suggested, utterly amazed by Da-On's enthusiasm for trying something new.

"Yes, Jessica Noona. Thank you for today," Da-On replied before closing his eyes again. "Let's go back to sleep," he declared, gently holding his mother's hand against his chest.

Jessica's ears perked up at the sound of Taeyeon's voice outside. With a sense of urgency, she hastily made her way to the bed and joined them.

"Are you planning to sleep here?" Tiffany asked, her disbelief evident in her tone.

"Let me stay for a while," Jessica said softly as she cuddled with Da-On, closing her eyes too.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Tiffany turned her head to find Taeyeon standing by the doorway. "You're here," she exclaimed, a mix of surprise and relief in her voice.

"Are they asleep?" Taeyeon whispered, feeling like he needed to step out since Jessica was already in bed.

"Nope, I'm awake," Jessica replied, promptly getting out of bed and smiling at Taeyeon before stepping out of their room. "Good night, Kim Taeyeon," she said warmly before leaving.

"What just happened?" Taeyeon softly chuckled to himself as he set aside his backpack.

"She just stopped by to say goodnight," Tiffany said, rising from the bed to assist him in ing his business suit. She then gathered it and headed to the bathroom to toss it into the laundry basket.

"Look who's still awake too, eh?" Taeyeon exclaimed playfully, diving onto the bed to tickle his son, eliciting giggles and laughter from him.

"Appa, stop," Da-On declared, gently holding his father's face to halt the tickling. "When are we going to go to the zoo?" he asked, his expression turning into a pout.

"Oh, we haven't gone there yet, have we? Hmm, let's plan to go on the weekend," Taeyeon said with a sweet smile, playfully poking his son's nose.

"Chincha?"

"You're free on weekends, Tae?" Tiffany asked as she joined her family on the bed.

"Not quite. But I'll make adjustments." 

"Should I prepare what to bring beforehand?" Tiffany asked excitedly, her voice soft with anticipation.

"Yeah, sure." Taeyeon confirmed with a sweet smile.

"Yay! Da-On's going to the zoo soon!" Da-On suddenly exclaimed, much to his parents' amusement.

"Let's sleep first before that happens," Tiffany playfully suggested as she pulled the comforter up to their chests.

"Let me shower first," Taeyeon remarked, realizing he was still wearing his pants and long sleeves from work. 

"Appa, shower fast."

"Here I go!!!"

Both Tiffany and Da-On burst into laughter as Taeyeon dashed like a ninja to the shower room. Tiffany gives her son a peck on his cheek and cuddles with him to sleep.

Moments later, Taeyeon assumed both his fiancee and son had drifted off into slumber. With gentle steps, he approached the bed, aiming to slip under the covers unnoticed. However, to his surprise, Tiffany's eyes flickered open, catching him mid-creep. "Uh... hi," he stammered, quickly straightening up as he settled onto the bed beside her.

"What are you up to?" Tiffany softly inquired, a hint of amusement dancing in her voice.

"Oh, um... since you're awake, there's something I need to discuss with you," he murmured, slipping out of bed with care. Crossing the room, he reached his desk and retrieved a plastic folder from his bag. "Come over here, let's go over this together," he beckoned, settling into the plush leather chair.

Before joining her fiance, Tiffany first checks on their son. Once assured he's sound asleep, she approaches Taeyeon. "What's going on?" she asks curiously, settling into the seat beside him.

"My proposal for our future," Taeyeon said with a proud smile, extending the folder to Tiffany.

"We just got engaged," she chuckled in disbelief, taking the folder gently from him.

"I know. But I feel like I need to plan this out."

Tiffany let out a soft scoff before opening the folder and scanning its contents. Four pages greeted her, the first detailing Da-On's education options. "So, you're asking me to pick between these schools?" she clarified, her gaze lifting from the page to meet Taeyeon's.

"Yes, I've listed down the options for his kindergarten. Since he didn't finish it back in Ireland, I'm thinking of enrolling him to start this August. What are your thoughts? There are three schools to consider, but I'm leaning towards the one near my workplace, Senya Kindergarten," Taeyeon explained, gesturing toward the photo attached to the paper. 

"Alright, I think I'll need to do some online research on these schools," Tiffany responded thoughtfully. "Decisions about grade school, middle school, and high school can come later. Because as Da-On grows, his preferences and learning style will become clearer. It's important to find a school that suits him as he develops," she concluded, sharing her opinion with Taeyeon.

"Exactly, he should have a say in the rest of his education journey," Taeyeon nodded in agreement with his fiancee.

Tiffany's smile warmed as she flipped to the second page. "Ah, wedding plans," she remarked with a knowing smile, glancing teasingly at Taeyeon.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's kick off the preparations next month, in May, and aim for a wedding around June," Taeyeon replied eagerly. "I've already compiled a list of everything we need to organize, including the number of guests we'll be inviting."

"I only have my close friends on my side. Please tell me you're not inviting the entire clan from your family," Tiffany quipped with a playful grin.

"Oh, no, definitely not the entire clan," Taeyeon chuckled. "I was thinking of just inviting my parents. But since I can't leave out some uncles and close friends, maybe I'll extend the invitations to them as well?"

"Ji-Eun, you're going to invite her, aren't you?" she teasingly added. 

Taeyeon smiled and nodded. "You don't mind, right?"

"Ji-Eun is a good friend, of course, I would love to see her at our wedding." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled back which made Taeyeon kiss her lips.

"Thanks." 

"Donghwi would likely be there too."

"Oh, my rascal cousin." Taeyeon softly chuckles. 

As Tiffany flipped to the third page, she was greeted by a collection of beautiful honeymoon destinations. "I have to admit, I'm drawn to Ireland," she confessed with a wistful smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Ireland is just stunning, with all its natural beauty... and I've always wanted to share that joy with the kids in the orphanag